The purpose of CDC's 10-state Emerging Infections Program (EIP) is to conduct surveillance and epidemiologic studies that go beyond the routine functions of most health departments, to answer questions of national public-health importance, and to train future epidemiologists. The purpose of this Affordable Care Act funding is to support and extend the capabilities of existing EIP sites, as well as to initiate new projects related to influenza and healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). PPACA funding will be used by the Oregon Public Health Division to enhance support for the basic infrastructure of the EIP network, currently in place in Oregon. These funds will serve to support personnel currently working on EIP-related projects, offer training and education to various stakeholders, expand on the information technology and exchange efforts within our state and nationally, and to conduct the new projects. Specifically, funds will be spent on 4 focus areas: 1) Hire an additional 3.0 FTE to support multiple EIP activities. 2) Obtain education and training in relevant surveillance and epidemiologic areas - viz., infection control and health information. Up to eight EIP personnel will receive additional education and training in infection control, and up to 15 EIP personnel will receive advanced education and training in health information practices. 3) Support information technology to allow the capture of data regarding bloodstream infections from hemodialysis centers in the Portland metropolitan area. 4) Hire 1.75 FTE to enhance the general epidemiology and laboratory capacity related to HAIs and influenza. Oregon's EIP will work to establish a standard for evaluation and validation of surveillance for bloodstream infections. Additionally, the use of PCR for typing/subtyping of isolates from hospitalized patients with influenza within the Portland metropolitan EIP catchment area will both enhance the epidemiology and laboratory capacity of influenza in Oregon. Furthermore, the EIP influenza program will carry out a study to refine influenza burden projections in the state of Oregon. New stakeholders involved will be the hemodialysis centers that will be requested to submit positive blood stream infections notifications to ACDP. All other efforts undertaken by this funding opportunity will go toward sustaining and enhancing practices currently in place with longstanding EIP stakeholders (i.e. the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory) Proposed new staffing will include 1.0 FTE supervisory Research Analyst-4;2.5 FTE Research Analyst 2;1.0 FTE Administrative Specialist-2;and 0.25 FTE Microbiologist-2. The PPACA EIP funding furthers the OHA mission of keeping Oregonians healthy and safe through enhancement of communicable disease surveillance systems that promote early identification of outbreaks and improve the quality of data needed for priority setting, policy development, and prevention and control of infectious diseases. Most of the projects with the EIP do not constitute human subjects research. For any projects that involve research in human subjects, Oregon's EIP program will submit protocols to the Oregon Public Health Division Institutional Review Board. Summary data (i.e., without patient identifiers) will be shared with CDC and through local and national publications of public health merit. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The purpose of this Affordable Care Act funding through the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) is to support state and local health departments'surveillance infrastructure through enhancement of the epidemiology and laboratory capacity of the existing EIP network. PPACA funding will be used by the Oregon Public Health Division to enhance support for the basic infrastructure of the EIP network, currently in place in Oregon. These funds will serve to support personnel currently working on EIP-related projects, offer training and education to various stakeholders, expand on the information technology and exchange efforts within our state and nationally, as well as enhance surveillance for influenza &hospital-associated infections within our state.